Silage pit floor concrete v asphalt

[Maxxum-man]

Just doing a couple of new silage pit floors and contemplating using asphalt although we have no issue with current concrete floors as far as effluent eating in to it goes.
What depth does the asphalt need to be?
I presume a very solid hardcore base is fine?

 

[Headless chicken]

I’m very interested in this too more importantly is it cheaper?

 

[SJM]

Looked at doing both when we built ours in the summer. Not much in it price wise. Asphalt on other pits wears very well but easy to screw up turning on it or digging holes in it with sheargrab tines. Opted for reinforced concrete to tie the walls into the floor slab in the end

 

[MrA.G.]

Planning on laying a silage pad this summer, we will be using GGBS concrete which has better properties for resisting the attack from silage effluent. I will try and find an article which will explain it better than me.

 

[MrA.G.]

https://www.farmersjournal.ie/concrete-made-with-ggbs-does-well-under-acid-166576

 

[Mitch67]

I did some work a few months ago. Asphalt has much better resistance to effluent acids and is able to expand and contract under different climate preventing cracking. Apparently it is a lot longer lasting, however shear grabs breaking it is a risk. It must be sourced from specialist suppliers as silage pit asphalt has to be made with a different compound than road tarmac. I contacted Bock UK, they were very helpful in putting me in touch with the right guys.

 

[linga]

I am sure I have read somewhere that asphalt will lift if cow muck sits on it for any length of time. Or something like that.

 

[Dairymantom]

I have put in 2 BOCK clamps this year going from the conventional concrete clamps. Wouldn't go back to concrete floor. Very impressed with what they have put in for us

 

[The Son]

Used asphalt in my last silage pit, will not be going back to concrete.

It was no cheaper then concrete, and was the same thickness with a sub base plus topping, but there are no expansion joints so the whole pit is effluent tight.

We used a specific tar product from Breedon.

The other part of thr system I liked as it inevitably wears, you can just put a fresh topping on to re seal rather than ripping up and starting again as you have to do with concrete.